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BACKCOUNTRY SNOW BOARDING
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ICE CLIMBING, CANYONING, CAMPING, TREKKING, FLY FISHING, KAYAKING, TRAIL RUNNING, ROCK CLIMBING, BACKCOUNTRY, SKI & SNOWBOARDING, MOUNTAIN BIKING
SATOSHI TSUKAHARA A.K.A Sebastian M o u nta i n Gu i d e / B i g M o u nta i n S now b o a rd e r
‘A professional guide that leads to a happy ending’
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s a snow border and a skier, Tsukahara explored the best snow to slide across the world. Ten years ago, he established his own guiding company in a small village called Akaigawamura, a onehour drive from the nearest town Otaru in Hokkaido, on the north island of Japan. It is one of the best back country fields in the world with fluffy and powdery snow. “Thanks to its proximity to the Sea of Japan, it has a high and steady annual snow fall. Being surrounded by mountains, fresh snow is hardly blown away by the wind. The steady sloping landscape creates stable snow conditions in the forests, with broadleaf trees, and beautiful slants. It simply has many interesting features and is never disappointing.” Indeed, Tsukahara is committed to guiding and takes advantage of the reliable conditions. He conducts more than 100 tours each year, yet has been forced to cancel only once, saying “Gomennasai…(I am sorry …)”. Tsukahara believes in “enjoying ourselves and sharing good moments with everyone” and is determined that this concept is at the heart of his business. Conditions change with the weather, and members often vary. His commitment to providing a welcoming and memorable experience is incredible.
“Under any circumstances, it is my job to lead to a happy ending. Of course, safety is a priority, but this does not compromise common value and satisfaction. I never give a one-size-fits-all tour”. Being a guide, it may be easy to repeat the same program that fulfills standard expectations. However, he values individual needs of participants, guiding them as a team, and enabling them to explore great surroundings with joy. The many favorable characteristics of Akaigawamura help him to achieve his vision. Tsukahara himself is a talented person. “I believe that no one can beat me with such a diversity of ideas about guiding. I am good at thinking up something unique quickly. When we face unexpected situations, the ability to solve the problem depends on a resource of past experiences. In the meantime, it is boring to do a conventional tour under the best conditions. No matter how the weather is, if I can lead members to do their best, the tour can finish with a happy ending.” Participants of his tour all agree - “Of course it is fantastic to slide in the mountains of Akaigawamura, but spending time with Mr. Tsukahara is incredibly fun.” During his tour, he entertains members with great and consistent hospitality. He is
nicknamed “Sebastian”, which comes from the Japanese phrase, “Sewasuru otsuchan” meaning the person who takes care of others. Laughter echoes through his tour. His expeditions are also known for a high number of repeated customers. Behind the scenes, he continues putting in incredible effort to prepare and plan each tour. Rising before dawn, he prepares meals, clears away the snow, surveys the level of accumulated snow across the landscape, checks weather conditions on the mountains and so on. Based on the vast information that he gathers and health conditions and experiences of participants, he examines every possibility of the tour and the route is finally decided, often just before the departure. By utilizing his resource and considering many aspects, he can offer members the best experience. “I think there are many good guides who simply offer a good sliding experience, but I want my guests to enjoy not only the skiing, but also great hospitality. I consider the enjoyment of my guests and other related elements. Every day, I am assessing where the best conditions are, not only in Hokkaido but across the whole of Japan. I also analyze mountains overseas. It is like studying a tree to learn about forests. It is needless to say that his dedicated preparation and wide view are contributing to the satisfaction of his guests. “When I was young, I was a bit egoistic and tried to do things in my own way. Now, I can see myself more objectively from a distance. It was great to slide mountains abroad, but I realized that there are simple enjoyments on our doorstep. That is the thing I want to share with everyone.”
There are a lot of guides in Japan, but no one else is as versatile. His main interest is snowboarding, but he is also a great skier. This offers participants’ choice. In his youth, Tsukahara worked as a fishing guide in New Zealand. Here, he found a passion for surfing, SUP and kayaking. This allows him to offer watersports out of season. As a true all-rounder, he enjoys every place throughout the year. In an industry of back country field guides, most of them started their career as a skier or snow border. He stands out as a person who loves nature throughout the seasons. “I climb mountains and slide down during the winter. When the snow melts, I do a boat tour and fishing in the river. During the summer, I go to the beach. Then, winter comes again. In this way, I want to evolve with nature through the year. I want to share my experience and way of enjoying all seasons with all participants I guide.” He is now spending his busy days by offering sea kayaking and mountain trailing tours until snow falls. “The most important point is to follow the best conditions of the moment and enjoy it. Great happiness can be found in appreciating the small things we find in in front of us. We never know what will happen next week until it becomes next week. When it snows, we think of snow.”
Satoshi Tsukahara Born in 1969, in Kitamishi, Hokkaido, Japan. After gaining experience in leading the guiding company “Nomado”, he established “Hokkaido back country guides”. Based on his experience with overseas mountains, he offers tours that can enjoy nature in all seasons. Qualified JMGA mountain guide stage I, and ski guide stage II
www.houdinisportswear.com/jp/ www.f u llm a r ks sto re . j p